NATO commander urges quick decision on Kosovo

NATO commander urges quick decision on Kosovo

"For security reasons, ... we should come up with a decision about status as soon as possible," Kather told The Associated Press ahead of a planned protest in Priština against the UN plan.

"People want to have clarity, people want to know what's the way ahead and what will be the future," Kather added.

His comments highlighted concerns among Albanian leaders and Western officials that impatience is growing among Kosovo's Albanian majority pressing for independence.

There are fears that tension could plunge the territory back into violence, the agency reports.

"This is my message to our political masters: please do everything possible to come up with a decision very quickly, as quickly as possible," Kather said.

"Violence will hinder the process and violence can even stop the process" of negotiations, Kather said.

He pledged that peacekeepers would maintain a safe and secure environment, "but in case somebody will not understand the message, we'll have to act very hard, quickly and determined."